Robin hood and the juggling lumberjack
by brookeljames
Summary: Katniss tries to teach Johanna how to shoot a bow while Johanna tries to teach Katniss how to throw an axe.


It had pretty much been a competition between both of you from the start. You were both on the same team but that didn't stop you both from trying to gather more food than the other or get more water.

Katniss never really understood _how_ Johanna got so much good with just an axe. The game scampered whenever you got a few feet away from them.

"So, it's your turn to go hunting, Robin hood?" Johanna sniped from behind Katniss "Try not to, you know, almost get yourself killed again"

Katniss rolled her eyes "Come with me then. Unless your lumberjack feet scare off the pray"

The taller girl laughed, "Let me show you how it's done, brainless"

"We're going hunting"

"We?" Finnick asked, arching his eyebrow at Katniss and Johanna "Are you sure that's a good idea? You both out there by yourselves?"

"I just want to show little miss muffin man how it's done"

Finnick chuckled "This can not end well" he mumbled as the girls walked towards the jungle.

"So how do you actually catch game with that" Katniss nodded towards Johanna's axe and the girl just smirked.

"Just wait and see"

The girls walked a little farther into the woods "Well come on, brainless. Show me how you do it"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"I wanna see you in acting"

Katniss shrugged before turning and drawing back her bow, sending an arrow through the neck of a tree rat.

"Kind of impressive I guess"

Katniss arched her eyebrows. She'd never been called anything other then amazing or even spectacular "Kind of impressive? Ok show me how you do it"

"Now you're sure? Wouldn't want to make little miss 'perfect hunter' look bad"

"Just do it"

Johanna shrugged before turning sharply and throwing her axe. Katniss didn't expect much out of it but her jaw dropped when she saw the axe had two birds pinned to a near by tree and has also managed to hit a tree rat out of the tree.

Katniss sent an arrow into the tree rat before it could take off.

"You look shocked?" Johanna grinned down at Katniss before walking over to the animals and throwing them into the basket Finnick had woven "Come on, we better get you back before lover boy starts to worry"

"How did you do that?"

"What?"

"Throw that axe like that. How did you even know those birds were there?"

"You are not the only person who had to hunt you know"

"You have to teach me how to do that!"

"Teach you? Are you kidding?"

"I'll teach you how to use a bow"

"I know how to use a bow. I'm not an idiot"

"Fine, shoot that tree" Katniss held her now out towards Johanna.

"Really?" Katniss nodded and Johanna took the bow "Fine whatever" The older girl pulled the bow back and sent the arrow whizzy past the tree.

"Huh. Some great archery skills th..."

"Ooh shut up"

"Go get the arrow"

"What?"

"Well we're in the middle of the games, I need all the arrows I can get" Katniss said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Johanna huffed and walking over to where the arrow had landed.

"You didn't keep your back straight" Katniss mumbled, putting the recovered arrow back in her quiver and looking back at a confused looking Johanna "And your elbow should of been straight behind you and your hand resting against the bone just under your eye"

"And take a high tension string to the nose? No thank you"

"It doesn't hit your nose if you hold it correctly"

"Fine. I'll show you how to chuck an axe if you show me how to use a bow properly"

"Deal"

"Tomorrow. You need to sleep"

"I'm not even..."

"When was the last time you slept?" Johanna asked looking over at Katniss as she hopped over a log and landing on the ground with virtually no sound.

"Maybe I was wrong about your lumberjack feet"

"You were way off but I asked you a question"

"Uh, About thirteen hours ago"

"That's what I thought. You get some sleep and I'll keep watch with Finnick since lover boy is still to, let's say, shocked to keep watch"

"That's not funny"

Johanna shrugged "I didn't say it was" she mumbled before heading down the beach to the water where Finnick was.

Katniss sighed and climbed into the hut. Peeta was still in the same position he was in when she left him last. Katniss couldn't deny that she was tired, exhausted even, but she just didn't feel comfortable sleeping in this arena, then again when we're you ever comfortable in the arena.

* * *

She'd only been asleep for about five hours when the cannon sounded and woke her up.

With in a few seconds she was on her feet and stumbling out of the hut. When she felt her body collide with someone else's she was about to pull back and put one of her arrows through them but a voice stopped "Wow, there brainless, going somewhere?"

Katniss looked up and sighed in relief when Johanna was grinning down at her "Thank god"

"I didn't know you cared"

"I don't. Just really wanted to know how you threw that axe like you did" Katniss mumbled, pulling back from Johanna making the taller girls arms, that were still wrapped around her waist, fall to her side.

"Of course you do" she mumbled before looking down at Peeta "How could he have slept through that. Is he even still alive?" Johanna sent a sharp kick into the boys rips making him groan but not wake up "Yup, alive"

"Who was it?"

Johanna shook her head "No idea"

"Why were you running back here?"

"To make sure someone hadn't snuck in and killed you" The girl smirked before nodded to Peeta "Or him, I guess"

"You guess?"

Johanna shrugged "He can't handle a bow like you can but if I ever need a good muffin recipe I'll give him a shout" She snarked, giving Katniss a sarcastic smile "Now get some more sleep brainless"

"Nah, I won't be able to get back to sleep"

"Still cut up about those axe lessons you could of missed out on"

"Nah I would of done fine without them" Katniss smirked, pushing lightly past Johanna and heading down towards the beach.

"Hey, Finnick take a nap, Katniss and I have got this watch"

"And you _really _think that's a good idea"

"Probably not" Johanna patted the boys shoulder before heading down the beach where Katniss was sitting.

"Just don't kill her"

"Meh, maybe"

"Maybe?" Katniss mumbled, arching her eyebrow at Johanna as she sat down next to her.

"you tend to bug me a little"

Katniss chuckled "Just a little? Wow, I'm taking that as a compliment I normally annoy people a lot"

"Who knew you had a sense of humor. I always thought you were hard face Katniss Everdeen, say something out of line she'd pop an arrow in your eye" Johanna teased laying on her back and looking up at Katniss.

"Well that can always be arranged"

"You never seem to let that thing out if your hand"

"I could say the same about that" Katniss nodded her head towards the axe in Johanna's hand.

"Well, believe it or not, we're in the middle if the hunger games"

"This is nothing like last year"

"Worse or better"

"I don't know. Better for the reason I have you, Finnick and Peeta but worse because I know most of us aren't getting out of here"

"And when are you actually going to start trying to win?"

"I'm not"

"What do you mean you're not?"

"I don't want to win I just want to get Peeta out of here"

"You're kidding?" when Katniss didn't say anything Johanna sat up "Why?"

"I owe him"

"You owe him? _You owe him_? What could he have possible have done for you to owe him your life!"

"How is this any of your business?"

Johanna's jaw tightened "You don't know what you're capable of"

"What are you talking about?"

"What's the best he can do back in district 12, huh? Bake bread for little kids? Snow sent you in here to have you _killed_ because he knew what you were capable of"

"He could just have killed me outside the arena"

"No, if he had you killed that would been it, everyone would have lost it so he sent you in here to have the arena do it for him but you can win!"

"Why are you doing this? To win I'd have to see you dead"

"I'm not any use anyway! Can you imagine the look on Snows face if you made it out of here"

"Are you forgetting they can hear us!"

"They cant, they would of cut us off after me saying about Snow wanting you dead. You have to get out of here, Katniss"

"No Peet..."

"Forget about him! They need _you_ out there ok? Not the muffin man"

"You have no right!" Katniss snapped jumping to her feet and pointing down at Johanna.

"Yes I do! Someone has to get through to you before you screw everything up!" Johanna also got to her feet and stood almost toe-to-toe with Katniss "You are not this useless fucking kid you think you are! You can do so much more than you think"

"Don't you start"

"Look, I'm willing to lay my life on the line here but not for _him_. Not for you to just get to the end of the games and throw it all away"

"I knew this wasn't a good idea" Finnick mumbled, turning to Johanna "Go get some sleep and cool off"

Johanna huffed before turning and storming up the beach.

"Don't worry about her she'll be back to normal when she wakes up"

Katniss just nodded and turned back to look towards the jungle

* * *

"So are we doing this or what?"

"Huh?" Katniss mumbled looking up at Johanna for her place on the sand.

Johanna rolled her eyes "Show me how to shoot that thing"

"Now?"

"Well the boys are awake so we don't have to keep watch so can take me back to that tree you told me to shoot at yesterday"

"Ok, let's go then"

"Let's. Finnick, we're going to hunt"

"No fighting"

"So what's your beef with this tree?" Katniss asked when they came to a stop at the tree.

"It made me miss yesterday"

"Ooh it was the trees fault, huh?"

"Whatever brainless just teach me how to do this"

"Ok just do when you done yesterday but with the tips I gave you"

"Fine" Johanna took the bow off of Katniss and shot an arrow towards the tree. The arrow deflected off the side of the tree and hit the ground

"You didn't rest your hand on your cheek bone. Go get the arrow"

"It's going to hurt my nose" Johanna mumbled as she walked off towards the arrow and walking back over to Katniss

"Again, this time rest your hand on your cheek bone"

Johanna hooked up the arrow and pulled the string back.

"No Johanna wait" Katniss snapped but was to late, Johanna had already yelped in pain.

"I fucking told you it was going to ping my nose!"

"You held it to close to your nose that's why" Katniss spun Johanna around and ran her thumb lightly over the red mark on the girls nose "It's not bleeding. Now go get the arrow"

"Ah, compassionate" Johanna mumbled grinning at Katniss.

"Go get the arrow"

Johanna walked over and got the arrow again "What am I supposed to do? I can't shoot with out missing the tree and when I do almost hit it, I hurt my nose!"

"Draw back the bow but don't let it go, just hold it"

Johanna did as she was told and held the bow.

"Ok, so your elbow is to low for one" Katniss mumbled, stepping up behind Johanna and putting her arm around the girl until her hand was on top of Johanna's "It should be up here" Katniss nudged Johanna's elbow up with her own until it was in the correct position.

"Like this"

"Yea and your hand should be resting here so that you're looking down the arrow at what you're shooting at"

"What if it..."

"It won't, trust me" Johanna nodded "Ok, so when you're ready, shoot"

Katniss took her arm from around Johanna but didn't step back, waiting for her take her shot "I'm trusting you here, brainless"

"Just don't move your hand any farther forward and you won't hurt yourself"

Johanna sighed before letting go of the string and clenching her eyes closed expecting the stinging on her nose again but reopened her eyes when the pain didn't come. The girl grinned when she saw the arrow lodged in the tree.

"Yes! You're not a bad teacher after all" Johanna mumbled turning to look at Katniss "Now how the hell do you do that so fast?"

"Easy" Katniss smiled, taking the bow from Johanna and within a few seconds there was an arrow in the tree.

"Pretty much a glorified Robin hood, aren't you?"

"What, you mean just like you're a lumberjack who can juggle?"

"Ooh, kittykat got bite, huh?"

"Go get the arrow"

Johanna chuckled "I wondered when that was coming"

"Go get it and you can teach me how to throw this hunk of junk before we have to head back"

"Hunk of junk? Princess this thing could save your life"

"Just throw it"

"Ooh you mean like this" Johanna throw the axe without even taking her eyes away from Katniss's and still managed to get it into the tree while taking the feathers off the arrow.

"You just ruined a perfectly good arrow but that was impressive"

"That was a hell of a lot more than impressive"

"Arrogant"

"Confident" Johanna corrected, smirking before heading off to get the weapons "Ok, so first things first can you lift the thing"

Johanna tossed the axe at Katniss and the younger girl caught it, it was a little heavier than she expected but it was lift able.

"That's always a good start. Now have you ever threw a baseball before"

"Where would I have thrown a baseball?"

"School! You went to school, right?"

"Of course I went to school!"

"Shocking"

"Just show me how to do this do I can get out of your company"

Johanna grinned; walking up behind Katniss "Ok, when it gets to here" the taller girl wrapped her arms around Katniss. One hand wrapped around Katniss' hand that was holding the axe and the other rested on the girls' hip "We let go, ok?" Johanna signaled to where they would let go and Katniss nodded "Ok, three, two, one" Johanna swung both off their hands back and sent the axe flying into the tree. Granted the full axe blade wasn't imbedded into the tree like it normally would have been if she'd thrown it but it was a start.

"It's a start" Johanna breathed looking down at Katniss but the girl didn't look like she was listening. Johanna let go of her hand and put her finger under Katniss' chin, guiding her face up to look at her "You ok, brainless?"

Katniss nodded, this was the first time she'd never been this close to Johanna so she'd never really noticed how long the girls eyelashes were or how she had very faint freckles dusted across her nose.

"You look like you're judging me"

"Sorry"

"No, don't be" Johanna whispered, running her thumb lightly over the tiny scar under Katniss' eye that was left there by Theard. Johanna watched Katniss' eyes flicker down at her lips before leaning down towards her.

"Sorry" Katniss mumbled when her nose bumped lightly off of Johanna's making the girl hiss in pain.

"It's fine" Johanna leant in the last few inches, taking Katniss' bottom lip in between hers and pressing the younger girls back against the nearby tree.

"Wait, the cameras"

"It's the hormones right? With being pregnant and all"

Katniss could tell by the tone of Johanna's voice that she didn't believe that for a second but she nodded anyway putting her hands on Johanna's neck and pulling her down to kiss her again. There was a shooting sensation up her spine and Katniss knew she couldn't blame hormones for that. She couldn't blame anything other than this girl was an amazing kisser. Better than anything that Peeta or Gale had ever made her feel.

That was until she heard it, or didn't hear it. Everything was silent, the birds had stopped singing and that was never a good sign.

Katniss pulled back and shoved Johanna to the side just in time for the knife that was flying towards them to graze her head slightly. Within a few seconds Katniss send an arrow into the neck of the culprit.

"What the hell?"

"Are you ok?"

"Yea, are _you_?" Johanna snapped back, running her finger over the cut on Katniss' head

"I'm ok"

"It doesn't look deep"

"I'm ok, Johanna"

Johanna looked from the cut to Katniss' eyes "How did you know?"

"It was far to quiet"

"You pretty much just saved my life"

"Well its only fair if you're willing to lay it down to keep me alive"

_BOOM_

The cannon sounded making both girls jump

"We should go back"

"And act like normal?"

"I don't know. Well figure it out"

"Katniss!" Peeta yelled and Johanna rolled her eyes.

"Idiots going to get himself killed"

"He probably thinks you've killed me"

"Like I could do that" Johanna grinned pressing a lingering kiss on Katniss' lips before stepping back and grabbing her axe "Let's go find him before he get himself killed"

"Katniss! Thank god!" Peeta exclaimed, his body all but slamming into Katniss'

"Peeta you have to keep your voice down! Are you forgetting we're in the middle of the games!"

"Who was it?" Finnick asked, walking over to the group.

"The guy from district 2"

"What happened?"

"We, uh..."

"We were just waiting on game to come by and he chucked his knife. Katniss shoved out of the way and send an arrow into his neck. If she hadn't pushed me that knife was going straight into the back of my head" Katniss just smiled, it felt good to save a life rather than end one "Come on, we'll clean that" Johanna nodded to the cut before heading down towards the water.

"Don't worry I'll do it"

"No offense but maybe you should try and practice not getting yourself shocked and being a little quieter"

"Don't worry, she's not gonna kill me" Katniss smiled at Peeta before taking off after Johanna "Was there really a need for that?"

"He just bugs me. Mr perfect my ass" Katniss couldn't help but grin when she took a seat on the sand "What you grinning about, brainless?"

"You're jealous"

Johanna scoffed; kneeling down in between Katniss' legs with the damp rag "I don't do jealous"

"Hum, I bet you don't"

"I seem to remember you in this exact same state last year. Taking a knife to the head"

"What can I say, I'm a knife magnet"

"Not really a good thing isn't? Being a knife magnet"

"Depends" Katniss mumbled, hissing in pain when Johanna ran the rag over the cut.

"On what? And does it hurt?"

"Well if you like knifes it would be a good thing and yea, a little"

"I wouldn't think you like knifes, considering"

"Nah, I don't like knifes"

"And you couldn't have said that at the start? To save this brainless conversation?"

"Brainless conversation is what is do best. You should know that" Johanna rolled her eyes and smiled "That's the first time I've ever seen you smile. Like properly"

"Well don't get used to it"

"Wouldn't dream of it"

"Do you two want to take a nap? Its mine and Peetas turn to keep watch"

"Sure. We should probably move after"

"Yea we'll talk more when you two wake up"

Johanna nodded, taking a hold of Katniss' hand and dragging her to her feet.

"You know I can't imagine you pretending to being all sweet and innocent to win the games your year" Katniss mumbled lying down on the ground with her back to Johanna.

"Well I was only 14, it wasn't hard"

"It must have been terrifying. Having to come in here at that age"

Johanna shrugged "About as terrifying as coming in at any other age"

Katniss nodded, looking over her shoulder towards Johanna who was laying on her back with her arms behind her head.

The younger girl sighed before turning and crawling up to Johanna's side and lying down next to her with her head on the girls shoulder

Johanna was shocked for a few seconds, frowning down at Katniss "You sure this is a good idea? Lover boy is only a few years away"

"I don't care" Katniss mumbled against Johanna's shoulder

"Well if you don't care neither do I" the older girl whispered wrapping both of her arms around Katniss' waist and rested her cheek on top of her head "You smell really bad" Johanna teased in a sleepy voice, letting her eyes droop closed.

"Yea, and you smell of roses, _Mason_" Katniss mumbled sarcastically, letting the sensation of Johanna's fingertips running down her back relax her into sleep.


End file.
